Angela Sweet, Public Relations Director, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

I want you to see our new brochure on Mil-Pharm.  This is the purpose and the image we want to portray.   The entire pharmaceutical industry does not want to be viewed as “Corporate Vultures” preying on those succumbing to deadly diseases.  

We don’t want to make the mistake of Merck in saying we will sell at cost.    Our profit margin of 26% is par for pharmaceuticals, but we don’t want to mention that, or costs. Mil-Pharm must NOT sell or give our drug-tests kits to African countries.  Our kits are accurate in the US and Europe.  We suffered a debacle when we sold  a million  in India.  First the Indians charged that we were sending them defective kits.  Later we discovered that the kits did not test the strains of HIV prevalent there.  It was a public relations nightmare.  We don't want to repeat that in Africa.    

In Africa, why don't we give the drugs to 2 countries:  give to one country with the most severe problem-- Botswana or South Africa.  President Mbecki has decided that everyone must be treated.  Or should we consider aiding  --it's small, stable (unlike Zaire, Rwanda) and safer than Zimbabwe.  We could afford to set up two programs.  

Let's  give to the governments and let them decide who gets the drugs.   Governments will be appreciative, and the action  will give us a lot of good press around the world.   Good for our image.  

 

Black, CEO

Bratton, Treasurer

Marcus, Bd Directors

Schroeder, R&D

Questions for Millennium